Steven Spielberg Says He Felt “Helpless” Over Drew Barrymore While Filming ‘E.T.’ “Because I Wasn’t Her Dad” – Deadline

Drew Barrymore and Steven Spielberg have a particular bond and all of it stems from their time filming E.T. the Further-Terrestrial.

In a profile for Vulture, Barrymore opened up about her childhood and mentioned the director was “the one particular person in my life to this present day that ever was a parental determine.”

Whereas capturing the sci-fi movie, Barrymore requested Spielberg if he may very well be her father to which he mentioned, “No.” Nonetheless, Barrymore would then ask if he may very well be her godfather, to which he agreed to.

“She was staying up well past her bedtime, going to locations she ought to have solely been listening to about, and residing a life at a really tender age that I feel robbed her of her childhood,” Spielberg mentioned. “But I felt very helpless as a result of I wasn’t her dad. I may solely sort of be a consigliere to her.”

Barrymore spent weekends with Spielberg, took her to theme parks like Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm, and even gifted her a cat that she named Gertie.

Spielberg additionally recalled not desirous to break the film magic for Barrymore, who questioned why there have been so many individuals round E.T.

“I didn’t need to burst the bubble,” Spielberg mentioned. “So I merely mentioned, ‘It’s okay, E.T. is so particular E.T. has eight assistants. I’m the director, I solely have one.”

Within the profile, Barrymore talks about her first reminiscence of her father, former actor John Drew Barrymore, who “was an abusive drunk.” The daytime speak present host mentioned that when she was 3 years outdated she remembers a second the place he “stormed in and tossed her right into a wall.”